Man dies in glider crash

[Exadios]

There has been a fatal glider crash in Corowa, NSW, this afternoon.

 

 

[Guest burbles1]

That's really sad. A loss to the piloting community.

 

 

[dazza 38]

That is such bad news, so close to Christmas. My sincere Condolences to the Gents family and friends.

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

Condolences to the family.

 

What a sad end to what I imagine was a gliding holiday. I may have heard him making altitude calls in metres the other day and understand that was due to being an imported glider. May be just coincidence though.

 

 

[facthunter]

Holiday?

 

It is very sad to have something like that happen when you are holidaying (apparently).

 

Perhaps the positioning of powerlines on this country should come in for a bit of attention. We have far to many incidents with them. Nev

 

 

[Spin]

Bugger, there is never a good time for this news but it really hits home when you're settling in for festivities with your nearest n dearest. Condolences to those left behind.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

One of our local ag-pilots up this way attempted to take the state government to court for recovery of damages after encounters with powerlines, about six times in two months. He earned the nickname "twang" for his efforts.

 

Anyway he bought the whole workplace health and safety issue into his case, citing that powerlines were a daily hazard to his occupation.

 

How far did it go ??....it instigated a TV ad campange warning of the dangers of overhead powerlines, and that we should all avoid them, as they are very hard to see !!

 

 

[Guest burbles1]

I remember that ad - was it "Look up and live"? Something about farmers and high agricultural equipment? Just shows what can be achieved when one has strong convictions.

 

 

[Captain]

Bugger ..... but thems the games we love to play.

 

I've flown from the Soaring Centre there and the whole operation is well run, + the Europeans who make the trip often bring their own machines and are mostly very very experienced, in some cases to World Champion level.

 

Below is what is on the Soaring Centre's website:

 

The ASCC sadly has to announce, the tragic accident to one of the gliders in Corowa on Friday 24th of December 2010. The pilot involved was Ilmari Rintesalo.

 

The accident happened during the self launch during which the glider was unable to climb normally. After hitting power lines next to the Redlands Road, the aircraft came to rest next to the road.

 

Emergency services responded quickly, but to our regret Ilmari did not survive.

 

As soon a further info is available it will be published on the website.

 

 

[Exadios]

This sounds a bit like having a pit bull and putting a "Beware of the Dog" sign on the gate. It is no defence as you are admitting, advertising even, to having something that is a danger to the public. Perhaps when the electricity distributors are privatised, you'll be able to sue them and make them not put overhead wires at airfields and near boat launching ramps.

 

Having an advertising campaign that merely states the bleeding obvious will not save a single life. Telling people to look out for something that is invisible is pretty stupid. For the cost of the advertising campaign they could have made at least a few places a lot safer.

To be fair to the power companies I think that in this case the pilot would have, or should have, known exactly where these lines are.

 

 

[Guest burbles1]

Well, with this accident the pilot would have known where the powerlines were. I googled his name and he has competed at the soaring centre before with his European colleagues.

 

 

[Gerrit]

incredible at any time of the year we can only try to imagine the loss for those who stay behind my sincere condolences for family and friends, on these power lines privatization will not make much difference, because in that case every dollar counts even more.

 

Having said that it could even be cheaper to put them underground, if you take in to account the tens of millions it costs every year to just keep the trees of the lines then on top of that the costs of repair after every thunderstorm or other heavy weather on top of that the inconvenience of it all, not even talking about unsightliness of it all and cost diverting traffic because of low power lines, coming to think of it they might go underground after privatization somebody might really have good look it it all and find out the real cost. Lets hope something gets done about a lot of them because looking up in this case does not always let the pilot live, happy holidays an lets all spare a thought for these people mourning their loved one, Gerrit

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

It is a while since I've landed at Corowa, but I don't recall any transmission lines adjacent to the aerodrome. The power lines would be only the normal street reticulation running along the road that divides the airfield from an industrial estate. Landing on RWY 32 you do pass very low over the industrial area on final. It is only about 100m from the piano keys. The crossing runway has been closed for maintenance for about 6 months. I've been told it was damaged by drag racing. It used to be used as an alternate for Albury, but now Wagga tends to be used instead.

 

Certainly, if you were running out of altitude on approach to 32, there's nowhere to go. I would not like to have an EFATO on 05.

 

 

[Exadios]

From the gliding club:

 

"December 24th

 

The ASCC sadly has to announce, the tragic accident to one of the gliders

 

in Corowa on Friday 24th of December 2010. The pilot involved was Ilmari

 

Rintesalo.

 

The accident happened during the self launch during which the glider was

 

unable to climb normally. After hitting power lines next to the RedlandsRoad,

 

the aircraft came to rest next to the road.

 

Emergeny services responded quickly, but to our regret Ilmari did not survive.

 

As soon a further info is available it will be published on the website."

 

Presumably there is a runway 14.

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

...Presumably there is a runway 14.

14/32 is the runway that has been closed for maintenance for many months.

"RWY 14/32 NOT AVBL DUE MAINT"

 

Further report gives some more detail. http://www.bordermail.com.au/news/local/news/general/crash-kills-glider-pilot/2034360.aspx

 

This detail puts the crash site 0.6 miles east of the end of runway 05 suggesting that was the runway used, however the site is considerably off-line with the runway which would seem to indicate one of two possibilities:-

 

• Pilot turned off line mid runway, cleared trees and then turned slightly to attempt outlanding on farmland, but hit power lines.
   
   
  
• Pilot cleared the industrial estate leading edge bit lost power and attempted turn back to land on the airfield encountering powerless on the way.
   
   
  

 

 

The second possibility seems more likely, but we will have to await further info.

 

 

[Exadios]

14/32 is the runway that has been closed for maintenance for many months."RWY 14/32 NOT AVBL DUE MAINT"

 

Further report gives some more detail. http://www.bordermail.com.au/news/local/news/general/crash-kills-glider-pilot/2034360.aspx

 

This detail puts the crash site 0.6 miles east of the end of runway 05 suggesting that was the runway used, however the site is considerably off-line with the runway which would seem to indicate one of two possibilities:-

 

1. Pilot turned off line mid runway, cleared trees and then turned slightly to attempt outlanding on farmland, but hit power lines.
    
    
   
2. Pilot cleared the industrial estate leading edge bit lost power and attempted turn back to land on the airfield encountering powerless on the way.
    
    
   

 

 

 

The second possibility seems more likely, but we will have to await further info.

Yes, a real tragedy.

 

From the news article he must have been tracking to the SW when he hit the lines. Also from the article he had been coming down for long enough for a ute to stop. I cannot image why he would leave it so late.

 

I had a look on Google and I can see some lovely paddocks to the NW to land in. He may have had to do a ground loop but them's the breaks. He probably had some water. I can also see the power lines on Google so he would have seen them too. Its a mystery

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

Hangar talk suggests that the air brakes were deployed and jammed in the operated position. if correct, that would certainly explain the inability to "climb normally". Someone who has driven past the site, also believes a turn back was being attempted, perhaps to land in a paddock beside the AD. He confirms the power lines in question were the normal street reticulation in the road adjacent to the AD.

 

 

[Exadios]

Hangar talk suggests that the air brakes were deployed and jammed in the operated position. if correct, that would certainly explain the inability to "climb normally". Someone who has driven past the site, also believes a turn back was being attempted, perhaps to land in a paddock beside the AD. He confirms the power lines in question were the normal street reticulation in the road adjacent to the AD.

Interesting. Probably means that the plane had just been re rigged.

 

Assuming that his wheel brake is on the air brake then the normal procedure is to advance the engine to takeoff revs with the wheel brake and air brake activated and then to put the air bakes away in order to start the roll.

 

With the air brakes out I don't think that I would do a 180 to get back to the airfield because the air speed would have to be too high.

 

 

[Exadios]

An update